Many vehicles are fitted with airbag systems, which operate in conjunction with the vehicle seatbelts to improve occupant safety in the event of a collision. One such airbag system is the Side Air Curtain (SAC) bag, which may be configured to deploy over the side windows and side pillars of the vehicle to cushion any impacts between a vehicle occupant and these areas of the vehicle interior.
With reference to FIG. 1, a previously proposed vehicle 2 may comprise a SAC bag 4. The SAC bag 4, may extend from a first end of the SAC bag, located towards the front of the vehicle, along an A-pillar 6 and rearwards along a roof rail 8 over one or more side windows 10. The side windows may be separated by one or more pillars, such as a B-pillar 12 and a C-pillar 14. The SAC bag 4 may further extend along a rear pillar, such as a D-pillar 16, to a second end of the SAC bag 4, located towards the rear of the vehicle 2. The SAC bag 4 may be coupled to the roof rail 8 by one or more brackets 18. The SAC bag 4 may comprise tethers 20 extending from the first and second ends of the SAC bag, which are coupled to the A-pillar 6 and D-Pillar 14, respectively. Prior to deployment, the airbag 4 may be stowed within an airbag storage cavity 30, provided in the roof rail 8 and/or roof of the vehicle (not shown). An inflator 22 may be provided to inflate the airbag when a collision is detected.
With reference to FIG. 2, in the event of a collision, the previously proposed SAC bag 4 may be inflated by the inflator 22 to form one or more cushions 24, which extend over one or more areas of the windows 10 and the pillars 6, 12, 14, 16. The cushions 24 may be configured to cover areas where it is possible that an occupant of the vehicle may impact a window or pillar during a collision. The cushions 24 of the airbag may also extend over front and rear seat belt D-loop height adjusters 26, 28.
In order to cushion an impact effectively, it is desirable for the SAC bag 4 to be deployed as quickly as possible following the detection of a collision. Additionally, it may be desirable for the airbag to deploy as close to the windows 10 and pillars 6, 12, 14, 16 as possible. This may ensure that the airbag deploys between an occupant of the vehicle and the windows and pillars of the vehicle, and is positioned to cushion an impact between the two. However, when deploying close to the windows and pillars of the vehicle, deployment of the SAC bag 4 may be slowed or restricted due to the presence of components coupled to the interior of the vehicle, such as the D-loop height adjusters 26, 28.